UracilBy: Mason

uracil

Molecular Formula: C4H4N2O2
Boiling Point: 379 Degrees C
Density: 0.99174 g/cm3
Molar Mass112.08676 g
Melting Point: 330 C

Chemical Structure

History:

Uracil was discovered in the 1900s by the hydrolysis of yeast.

Uses:

Uracil can be used as a pharmaceutical drug with anticancer properties. 5-fluorouracil is also an anticancer drug that is used to masquerade as uracil during the nucleic acid replication process. 5-fluorouracil is produced when elemental fluorine is reacted with uracil. It is also used in animals and plants. It is used in animals and plants to help carry out the synthesis of a lot of enzymes necessary for cell function. Also, it serves as an allosteric regulator and coenzyme for reactions in plants, as well as the human body. It's involved in the biosynthesis of polysaccharides and transporting sugars that contain aldehydes. Uracil may increase the risk for cancer. It has a many agricultural uses such as dertermining microbial contamination of tomatoes. Uracil's derivatives are used in pesticides. Lastly, it is used as an anti-photosynthetic herbicide to destroy weeds.

Reactions:

It goes through regular reactions such as oxidation, nitration, alkylation. It also goes through an addition to ribose sugars and phosphates that take place in synthesis and further reactions in the body. Also, it reacts with anhydrous hydrazine, kinetic reaction occurs.

Where is it found:

Uracil is found in RNA. One way uracil is made is by an ice sample containing pyrimidine being exposed to ultraviolet radiation under space-like conditions.

When it comes to RNA, Uracil base-pairs with adenine and replaces thymine during DNA transcription.